Device for storing two products separately and dispensing them simultaneously

ABSTRACT

A device comprising a jacket having a valved end and holding a first product, a container holding a second product slidable within said jacket and in sealing contact with the jacket walls, means for propelling said container toward said valved end, and a rod positioned to open an orifice in said container as it approaches the valved end of said jacket.

United States Patent [54] DEVICE FOR STORING TWO PRODUCTS SEPARATELY AND DISPENSING THEM SIMULTANEOUSLY 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 222/82, 222/137, 222/389 51 Int. Cl B67b 7/24 [50] Field of Search 222/136, 137, 80, 81,145,389, 398, 399, 402.25, 82

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,925,937 2/1960 Schmidt et al. 222/389 X 3,404,810 10/1968 Beers 222/389 X Primary ExaminerRobert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-John P. Shannon, Jr. Attorney-Holcombe, Wetherill & Brisebois ABSTRACT: A device comprising a jacket having a valved end and holding a first product, a container holding a second product slidable within said jacket and in sealing contact with the jacket walls, means for propelling said container toward said valved end, and a rod positioned to open an orifice in said container as it approaches the valved end of said jacket.

PATENTED SEP TIQYI SBQQMEB F 7 M M DEVllCIE FOR STORING TWO PRODUCTS SEPARATELY AND DHSllENSllNG THEM SIMULTANEQUSLY SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION ln the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, and when packaging cleansing products, it is often necessary to use two products simultaneously which are capable of rtlflfiting with each other when they are brought into contact. It is obvious that this contact cannot be permitted during storage, since this would provoke during storage the reaction which must take place at the moment of use. It has accordingly been necessary to package the products in question in separate containers but this method of operation has the disadvantage of requiring the user to operate the two containers holding the products to be dispensed simultaneously.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of packaging and using under pressure two products which are to be dispensed simultaneously, but which must be stored separately, as well as a container adapted for use in carrying out that process. Each product may consist of a mixture of a plurality of compounds.

The method of packaging and using according to the invention is essentially characterized by the fact that one of the products to be dispensed is introduced into an outer jacket which is closed by a valve and that a slidable inner container is mounted inside the outer jacket. This inner container acts as a piston and holds the other product which is to be dispensed simultaneously with the first product. A gas under pressure, which may or may not be liquefied, is introduced beneath the bottom of the sliding container. A fixed obstruction is positioned in the path of travel of the inner container which causes the opening of said inner container when it encounters said obstruction. The jacket is positioned with its valve down and shaken to ensure the mixing of the products contained in the inner and outer container. While the inner container is sliding it is closed by a cover inside the outer jacket and the mixture is dispensed through the valve of the outer jacket in response to the pressure produced by the propellant gas.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide as a new article of manufacture a device adapted for use in carrying out the above process, which device is essentially characterized by the fact that it comprises an outer jacket, which is preferably cylindrical, and is provided with a dispensing valve at its upper end. its lower end defines a chamber filled with a propellant gas under pressure, which may or may not be liquefied. This chamber may be brought into communication with the inside of the outer jacket by means of a pin which can be actuated from outside. The outer jacket is provided with a rigid axial rod on which a cover is slidably mounted and holds an inner container which is slidable within the jacket and has an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the outer jacket. This container is closed by means of a movable plug, which plug has the same dimensions as the sliding over on the rigid rod carried by the outer jacket.

in a preferred embodiment of the invention, when the contents are being introduced into the package, the sliding cover carried by the rigid rod of the outer jacket is positioned at a certain distance from the lower end of the rigid rod, which is attached at its upper end to the outer jacket near the dispensing valve. While the contents are being introduced into the container, the inner container is located in the lower part of the outer jacket and the free end of the rigid rod is at a short distance from the plug in the inner container.

The propellant gas enclosed in the chamber at the lower end of the outer jacket may be, for example, a mixture of freon ll and freon 12 which makes it possible to obtain a gauge pressure of 1.5 kg. per cm. at C. The friction between the slidable inner container and the inner surface of the outer jacket is adjusted in dependence on the pressure of the propellant gas used, so that the container moves slowly under the effects of the pressure inside the outer jacket. This permits the product originally held by the inner container to completely escape under the influence of gravity into the outer jacket between the moment at which the plug of the inner container is forced inwardly by the fixed rod and the moment at which the inner container is again closed by the sliding cover. There is a fluidtight seal between the cover and the rod as it slides. When the container according to the invention is used, it is placed upside down; the wall of the chamber containing the propellant gas is pierced by the pin, thus causing the container to slide in the jacket, the plug in said container to be driven inwardly, the mixture of thetwo products which were separately packaged, the reclosing of the container by the sliding cover, and finally the pressurizing of the mixture. It is obvious that the pressure of the propellant gas must be sufficient to overcome not only the frictional resistance between the container and the jacket but also the friction between the sliding cover and the rod which carries it.

In order that the invention may [be better understood a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described, purely by way of illustration, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FlG. 1 is an axial sectional view showing a container according to the invention while full;

FIG. 2 is an axial section through the container of FIG. 1 showing it at the moment at which it is beginning to be put in use; and

FIG. 3 is an axial section through the container of FIG. I at the moment at which its contents are being dispensed.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that reference numeral l indicates the outer jacket as a whole, this jacket being provided at its upper end with a dispensing valve 2 actuated by a pushbutton 3. At its bottom 4 the outer jacket l is provided with a chamber 5 which contains a pressurizing gas 6, which is a mixture of freon l l and freon 12 that produces a gauge pressure of 1.5 kg./cm. at 20 (C. The chamber 5 is provided with a pin 7 which is operable from outside the jacket. The end 8 of the pin 7 is adapted to perforate the inner wall of the chamber 5 so as to place this chamber in communication with the inside of the outerjacket l.

One end of a rigid rod 9 which is positioned axially of the jacket i. is attached to the top of the outer jacket ll near the valve 2. A movable cover Ml is slidably mounted on the rod 9 in sealing contact therewith. in the storage position the cover lltl is near the lower end of the rod 9 at a certain distance from that end. The device according to the invention also comprises inside the jacket ll, a container til, the outer diameter of which is equal to the inner diameter of the jacket l. The container l l is slidable in the jacket i and acts as a piston therein. There is substantial frictional resistance to this sliding movement. The friction between the container llll and the inner wall of the jacket is so adjusted that the propellant gas 6 can only move the container rather slowly within the outer jacket. The container it is provided at its upper end with a plug 12 which can be pushed thereinto, and holds a product i3 which is to be dispensed. The jacket 11 holds another product 114 which is also to be dispensed.

When the device is to be used, the container lll is first filled with the product R3. The plug H2 is put in place and the container ill is positioned inside the jacket ll before its bottom is put on. The chamber 5 is seated in the base of the jacket l, the propellant gas 6 is introduced into this chamber, and the base is attached to the jacket.

The product M is then introduced into the outer jacket ll above the container ill and the top of the jacket is closed by seating therein the valve support, equipped with its rod '9, and the associated cover lltl.

When the container according to the invention is to be used, it is turned upside down. The pin '7' is then at the top of the container. The user presses on the pin 7 so as to perforate the wall of the chamber 5. The propellant gas 451 then exerts pressure on the lower part of the container lll which serves as a piston, and moves in the direction of the valve 2. The plug 12 encounters the free end of the rod i Due to the movement of the container ill, the plug 112. is forced into that container and the liquid 13 falls under the'infiuence of gravity into the outer jacket 1. During this operation the user shakes the device so as to ensure mixture of the products 13 and 14. The sliding movement of the container 11 continues and the mouth of that container then encounters the sliding cover carried by the rod 9 which cover seats in the mouth of the container 11. The cover 10 is provided with a conical seating surface which prevents it from falling into the container 11. The movement of the container 11 continues, and it acts as a piston, transmitting to the mixture of products 13 and 14 the pressure developed by the propellant gas 6. When the pressures are balanced on the two sides of the piston formed by the container 11 the push button 3, is pressed to actuate the valve 2. The device may then be used with the valve 2 in any position.

One example of the products which may be packaged within a container according to the invention will now be given. The container 1 1 may hold 40 cm. of the following mixture:

nonylphenol condensed with 4 molecules of ethylene oxide 23 g. nonylphenol condensed with 9 molecules of ethylene oxide 25 g. copra diethanolamide butylglycol 2 g. propylene glycol percent ammonia paratolylene diamine 0.9 g. para-aminophenol 0.9 g. m.diamine-anisol sulfate m. aminophenol 0.2 g. resorcinol 0.5 g. nitroparaphenylene diamine hydroquinone 0.10 g. sodium salt of diethylene-triamino-penta-acetic acid sodium bisulfite 1.2 ml.

water, q.s.p. 100 g.

Forty cm. of 6 percent hydrogen peroxide is then introduced into the outer jacket 1 after the container 11 has been closed and put in place. Operation of the device then dispenses a mixture which, when used to treat 70 percent white hair, produces a chestnut color.

It will be seen that the container according to the invention has the advantage of being very simple in construction and makes it possible to simultaneously dispense through a single valve two products which react with each other when brought into contact. 7

Moreover, the products are stored without being placed under pressure, since only the chamber 5 is under pressure from the propellant gas 6 during storage. It will, of course, be appreciated that the embodiment which has just been described may be modified as to detail without thereby departing the basic principles of the invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for storing two products separately and dispensing them simultaneously, which device comprises an outer jacket, a dispensing valve at one end of said jacket, an inner container positioned within said jacket in slidable seali'ng contact with the walls of said jacket and with the end of said container nearest said valve defining an orifice, a plug frictionally retained in said orifice, means operable from outside said jacket for driving said container toward the valved end of said jacket, a stationary substantially axial rod between said orifice and the valved end of said jacket having an end positioned to drive said plug into said container when said container approaches the valved end of said jacket, and a cover dimensioned to close said container orifice and slidably and sealingly mounted on said rod between rod end and the valved end of said jacket so as to close said orifice when it reaches said cover.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said driving in means comprises a rupturable barrier near the end of said jacket remote from said valve which separates from the remainder of said jacket, a chamber filled with a gas under pressure, and means operable from outside said jacket for rupturing said barrier.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which the pressure of the gas in said chamber is sufficient to overcome the frictional resistance between said container and jacket and drive said container toward the valved end of said jacket when said barrier is ruptured at a speed permitting the contents of said container to fall into said jacket between the time at which said plug is driven out of said orifice by said rod end and that at which said orifice is closed by said cover.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which said gas is under a gauge pressure of 1.5 kg./cm..

5. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which said cover is shaped to enter, but incapable of passing through said orifice. 

1. A device for storing two products separately and dispensing them simultaneously, which device comprises an outer jacket, a dispensing valve at one end of said jacket, an inner container positioned within said jacket in slidable sealing contact with the walls of said jacket and with the end of said container nearest said valve defining an orifice, a plug frictionally retained in said orifice, means operable from outside said jacket for driving said container toward the valved end of said jacket, a stationary substantially axial rod between said orifice and the valved end of said jacket having an end positioned to drive said plug into said container when said container approaches the valved end of said jacket, and a cover dimensioned to close said container orifice and slidably and sealingly mounted on said rod between rod end and the valved end of said jacket so as to close said orifice when it reaches said cover.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said driving in means comprises a rupturable barrier near the end of said jacket remote from said valve which separates from the remainder of said jacket, a chamber filled with a gas under pressure, and means operable from outside said jacket for rupturing said barrier.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which the pressure of the gas in said chamber is sufficient to overcome the frictional resistance between said container and jacket and drive said container toward the valved end of said jacket when said barrier is ruptured at a speed permitting the contents of said container to fall into said jacket between the time at which said plug is driven out of said orifice by said rod end and that at which said orifice is closed by said cover.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which said gas is under a gauge pressure of 1.5 kg./cm.2.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which said cover is shaped to enter, but incapable of passing through said orifice. 